The present invention relates to a recording apparatus such as a laser printer.
A laser printer includes an exposure unit. A laser beam is generated by the exposure unit and is scanned on a pre-charged photosensitive drum, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed thereon. The electrostatic latent image is developed by toner supplied from a developing unit, thereby resulting in a toner image being formed on the photosensitive drum. A transfer charger then transfers the toner image onto paper fed between itself and the photosensitive drum. Thereafter, the transferred toner image is fixed on the paper by a fixing unit.
The exposure unit is detachably arranged in a housing so as to facilitate maintenance and inspection.
If the exposure unit is set in an upper portion of the housing, it can be attached to and detached from the upper side or a side portion of the housing.
In a recently developed printer, a paper convey path and units such as a fixing unit and the like are arranged above the photosensitive drum. As a result of this arrangement, paper which becomes jammed inside the printer, can be easily removed from the housing through the opening made in the upper side thereof.
However, the exposure unit of this printer must be arranged in a lower and middle portion of the housing, with the result that if the exposure unit is arranged in a LOWER and middle portion of the houding, it cannot therefore be in the UPPER portion or close to any side of the housing. Therefore it cannot be detached from the upper side or from any side, without detaching the units such as the fixing unit, thereby posing a problem of poor operability.